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Sophie's random remedies

What works for me to solve every day maladies, or at least lighten them. Check with a doctor and all that jazz.

There are ailments that many of us get. They may not be serious but they make our life less fun. There are ways to alleviate them. Try some if you dare, but always consult a doctor or two for diagnosis and a professional opinion.

Insomnia

I used to get insomnia a lot. Using some of these solutions may work if you let them ;o):

go to bed same time every night (allowed not to on dance weekends!)
go to bed a bit earlier than you would think to
be read to by someone with a melodious voice (story tapes are good, loving person better)
have warm feet (and body), wear thick socks if nec
have a warm but not too hot bath, ideally with lavender oil or 1kg of Epsom salts in
avoid excessive brain activity for 1 hour before bed
cut out all unnecessary drugs, including caffeine
get fresh air and exercise every day, even if only running to catch a bus!
breathe deeply consciously as often as you can (I often forget to breathe at all!)
eat healthy food all the time, like every 3 hours or so, during the daytime. Avoid late heavy meals.
have a light snack before bed time, such as rice puffs with oat milk and chopped banana, oat cakes with peanut butter, etc
find a good ostaeopath and get your spine in perfect order so blood flows to all the right places and no strange aches
decide what your long term wishes for your life are (what you'd look back on and be happy about) and aim for everything you do to work towards that and to drop the things that don't.
sort your work life balance out in general.
I love my water bed xxx but I got rid of insomnia before I got it.

Spots and Acne

I've never had acne, but spots come and go, and the following make them go, so should help with acne too:

clean your teeth at least twice a day and floss or use inter-dental brushes. This is the most effective treatment I've found - makes far more difference than washing my face.
wash face gently at least once a day.
moisturise when the weather/environment is harsh. Yoah hemp no-factor sun cream is my favourite year-round moisturiser.
change your pillow case at least once a week. More often and all your bedding if you have severe spots.
eat foods high in zinc - such as pumpkin seed butter or oil, lentils, whole grains, tahini, oats, almonds
eat foods high in vitamins, especially vitamins C and the Bs - all fruit and veg, especially green leafies, peanuts, mushrooms, avocado, bananas, plus yeast extract, yeast flakes and whole grains.
avoid refined sugar and sucrose, including that occurring naturally, eg in dates and raisins. Use agave syrup, prunes, dried apricots, apples, etc for sweetness instead.
avoid excessively fatty foods, such as take-away curries and chips, and anything with animal fat in it.

Migraine

I've had these all my adult life, and although I've certainly not rid myself of them this is what helps:

all the insomnia cure suggestions above
avoid obvious trigger foods, the most common being:

red meat
dairy foods, especially cow cheese
alcohol, especially non-organic wine and beer
caffeine, such as in coffee, chocolate, tea, red bull
sulphates, particularly sulphur dioxide
monosodium glutimate MSG, the flavour enhancer
caramel
very acidic foods, such as low quality and long life citrus juices
hydrogenated fats (manufacturing process) and trans fats (from excessive heating of fats)

Asthma

I used to have mild asthma, but never got it again after the day I went from vegetarian to vegan, which came as rather a surprise but I've since learnt dairy is a common trigger. Other tips:

all those for Migraine - they have the same triggers. This also seems to be the case for oseo arthritis and type II diabetes, but I have no direct experience of this, though reducing the main triggers has made my mum's joints much less painful and stiff.

Comments

julian, nottingham on 16th Aug 2012 14:10

Rating 5/5

Not just me that gets an instant migraine from caramel then? Thanks for taking the time i feel a little less alone....welcome to my nightmare, oatcakes and peanut butter definately help though :) i stick hemp seeds on mine.

Report this comment.

Asian Veggie, SE22 9NF on 2nd Aug 2011 11:55

Rating 5/5

Snack before bed-time?

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Audit

Story posted by sophie on 2011-02-06 22:19:46.

Story last updated by sophie on 2011-10-20 22:34:19.

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